South Korean government pledges full support for firms entering Iranian market

MOSCOW (MRC) -- South Korean government will provide comprehensive support to the companies seeking to enter into Iranian market, according to a press-release from the country’s Ministry of Trade, Industry & Energy (MOTIE) Friday, reported TPS.

"Government-wide support will be provided so our companies can penetrate into Iranian market," Joo Hyung-hwan, Minister for Trade, Industry & Energy said in a meeting with representatives of 11 companies that are currently operating in Iran.

Joo added that a ministerial-level meeting will be held in Iran on Feb 29 and high-ranking economic delegation will be sent to the country to strengthen business ties between the two countries.

"In order to promote trade and investment opportunities in Iran, the government will maintain the current Korean-won based settlement of accounts system, while adding other forms of exchange using different currencies such as Euro and Yen," Joo said.

"Among many different businesses, we need to strengthen cooperation in areas such as petrochemical and automobile sectors as these are industries where domestic demand will increase in the near future," Joo added.

The lifting of sanctions is widely expected to boost South Korea’s petrochemical exports to Iran, along with other industrial sectors such as automotive, shipping and shipbuilding.

The South Korean government had prohibited exports of these products to Iran since 2011 as part of provisions under the Iran Trade and Investment Guidelines. The guidelines, however, was abolished by the government with effect from Jan 17.

As MRC informed in October 2015, the South Korean government is pushing forward with consolidation of the petrochemical industries, which are mired in a supply glut and the protracted global economic recession. The restructuring on the petrochemical industry is currently led by the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy. Although working-level officials of major petrochemical firms such as LG Chem, Lotte Chemical, and SK Global Chemical held a meeting in September 2015 in order to discuss issues like capacity adjustment, they no longer do it out of concern that it might be construed as an act of collusion by the Fair Trade Commission.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Shin-Etsu is in plans to shut its polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plant for a maintenance turnaround, as per Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in Japan informed that the plant is scheduled to be taken off-stream in May 2016. It is likely to remain off-stream for around four weeks.

Located in Kashima, Japan, the plant has a production capacity of 550,000 mt/year.

We remind that, as MRC wrote before, in 2015, Shintech Inc. added almost 700 million pounds of PVC capacity as part of a USD500 million expansion of its plants in Louisiana. Shintech's parent firm - Shin-Etsu Chemical Co. Ltd. of Tokyo - said in a June 19 news release that the firm will addd 660 million pounds of PVC capacity in Louisiana by 2015. Houston-based Shintech makes PVC in Plaquemine and Addis, La. The project also includes 660 million pounds of new capacity for PVC feedstock vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) and 440 million pounds of new capacity for caustic soda.

Shin-Etsu is the world and US' largest PVC producer.
mcplast.com

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The chemical industry in UK could face a GBP7bn loss of exports if the country chooses to withdraw from the European Union (EU) without signing a new Free Trade Agreement (FTA), according to a report by trade credit insurance group Euler Hermes, said Chemicals-technology.

In addition, the report has warned that the machinery and equipment industry would face a loss of GBP3.5bn and the automotive industry would face GBP3bn loss, if new FTA is not agreed. The UK's chemicals, automotive, machinery, and equipment sectors are known to be highly dependent on the European market.

Euler Hermes European economist Ana Boata said: "The chemicals industry is one of the most important exporting sectors in the UK, with GBP55bn of goods sent abroad each year.

In its 'Brexit Me If You Can' report, Euler Hermes analysed the effects on the UK companies if the country leaves EU from two perspectives, one with a new FTA in place and one without an FTA. As per the report, in the absence of an FTA, margins would suffer dut to higher import and financing costs, and international divestment could lead to a reduction in exports.

Even the signing of a new FTA may lead to a drop of up to GBP2.5bn in exports for chemical companies, while the machinery, equipment and automotive sectors will each face a GBP1.1bn reduction in exports.

Euler stated that if the UK left EU without a FTA, the turnover of domestic companies could be reduced by 1% per year on average, compared to an existing predicted growth rate of 4% on average after 2017 if the UK stayed in the EU.

The entire scenario could result in up to GBP30bn, or 8%, of losses to the UK's total goods exports, and the country would require a minimum of ten years to fill the gap.

Additionally, the already high trade balance deficit could widen by GBP35bn to GBP180bn within 12 months of the formalisation of a UK exit from the EU.

Next year, the UK European Union membership referendum is scheduled to take place, and those in favour of a British withdrawal from the EU, commonly referred to as Brexit, say that outside the EU, the country would be better able to address its own issues.

UK became a member of the European Economic Community in 1973.

As MRC informed earlier, the European Commission is demanding that the largest chemical producer in the world, BASF, pay 200 million euros (USD217 million) in unpaid taxes to Belgium. The European Commission announced that Belgium had granted tax advantages that are at odds with the Commission's rules to at least 35 multinational companies, and ordered the country to recover 700 million euros in unpaid tax.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- TeamTec AS and Evonik Resource Efficiency GmbH have signed a cooperation agreement for the marketing of AVITALIS Ballast Water Treatment System (AVITALIS), said Evonik in its press release.

AVITALIS is a fully automated system for the disinfection of ballast water aboard of ships. AVITALIS utilizes the highly efficacious and biologically degradable PERACLEAN Ocean, which has been specifically developed for the treatment of ballast water.

Within the cooperation with Evonik, TeamTec takes over the global responsibility for the manufacture, sales and service of AVITALIS. Evonik with its global presence and established supply chains for specialty chemicals ensures the supply of the customers with PERACLEAN Ocean as well as the further development of the technology.

TeamTec is a globally leading supplier of waste incinerators and stripping ejectors for the use aboard of ships. Beyond this, TeamTec’s parent company IMS Group is a market leader in watertight ship doors.

"In TeamTec as a globally leading supplier of maritime specialty equipment we have found the ideal partner for the marketing of AVITALIS. With its broad market access and production know how for specialty components for the ship industry, TeamTec perfectly complements our own technology competencies", explains Michael Traxler, head of the Business Line Active Oxygens of Evonik.

Olav Voie, CEO of TeamTec emphasizes: "AVITALIS is the ideal addition to our maritime product portfolio. With AVITALIS, we are now able to also offer our customers a reliable and environmentally friendly solution for the treatment of ballast water. We are very much looking forward to the cooperation with Evonik, a leading company in specialty chemicals and in the field of ballast water treatment".

As MRC informed before, in June 2015, Evonik and Brenntag agreed to cooperate on hydrogen peroxide and peracetic acid for pharma and cosmetics markets. Evonik Industries introduced new hydrogen peroxide and peracetic acid grades for drug, medical products, and cosmetics manufacturers in response to increasingly more stringent regulatory requirements in these close-to-consumer industry segments. In Europe, customers will receive tailored solutions, enabling them to provide end consumers with safe and fully certified products.

Evonik, the creative industrial group from Germany, is one of the world leaders in specialty chemicals. Its activities focus on the key megatrends health, nutrition, resource efficiency and globalization. Evonik benefits specifically from its innovative prowess and integrated technology platforms. Evonik is active in over 100 countries around the world.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- January overall imports of high density polyethylene (HDPE) into Ukraine decreased by 13% from December, totalling 8,900 tonnes. The pipe extrusion sector accounted for the largest fall in imports, according to MRC DataScope report.

Last month's HDPE imports to Ukraine dropped to 8,900 tonnes from 10,200 tonnes a month earlier. HDPE imports decreased to all consumption sectors under the pressure of seasonal factors, film grade polyethylene (PE) being the exception. Pipe grade PE accounted for the greatest decline in demand in January.

Supply structure by PE processing sectors looked the following way over the stated period.

Last month's imports of film grade HDPE to the Ukrainian market rose to 4,800 tonnes from 4,600 tonnes in December 2015. European producers accounted for a small increase in shipments.

January imports of injection moulding and extrusion blow moulding (EBM) HDPE to Ukraine fell to 1,300 tonnes and 1,200 tonnes from 1,500 tonnes and 1,600 tonnes, respectively, a month earlier.

Last month's imports of pipe grade HDPE (excluding natural HDPE grades) were 1,400 tonnes versus 2,300 tonnes a month earlier.

HDPE imports into other sectors did not exceed 200 tonnes in January.

MRC